Aftermath
by anewsgirl
Summary: Sequel to Tears & Truths. The dust of chaos that surrounds Ino and Chouji has settled a state of relative peace. Can they finally make a relationship work? Rated T. Reviews welcome!
1. A New Dawn

A/N: This is based on how I think the series will end. Anyone who disagrees can let me know in their review.

_"Just let me tell you one thing then," he told her. "I love you, Ino." She gasped at his boldness; never had she imagined he would say that of all things so abruptly. She whispered in his ear "I love you too, Chouji."_

Not a single day had passed since those words had strayed from his thoughts. Knowing his feelings for her were mutual, that she felt the exact same way about him had been a blessing and a curse. They were two teenagers of the ninja world, a world where the risk of capture, torture and even death made pursuing a relationship difficult. The current situation with their village's youngest missing-nin made it an impossibility.

That traitor, Sasuke Uchiha had shown his true colors and joined the Atasuki, the criminal organization responsible for the death of their sensei Asuma and the one currently hunting down the hosts of tailed beasts. They had nearly killed Gaara and had plans to capture Naruto and extract the Nine-Tailed Fox, which would kill him. The missing-nin was beyond redemption in his eyes. These were the thoughts that were on his mind as he walked down the streets of the Hidden Leaf village.

"Chouji-kun," called a familiar voice. He turned around to see Ino running towards him, her blue eyes full of tears. On reflex, he ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her protectively. Seeing her this upset could only mean one thing, that the Uchiha was dead.

"What's wrong, Ino-chan," he asked, already knowing her answer. However her answer surprised him.

"It's Naruto. He's back from his journey, badly injured, and has accomplished what he promised Sakura." Chouji was shocked at that answer. Naruto's promise had been to bring back Sasuke. "He's really shaken by what he has had to do. He killed Sasuke," she said, whispering the last part. He was shocked to hear that news.

"How is Sakura," he asked, concerned about her best friend. The kunoichi had truly loved him because she had been the few to whom the Uchiha had shown his true colors before he abandoned the village. It was why she had been so desperate to save him from himself.

"She's actually handling it better than Naruto. She hasn't left his side since the battle ended," she answered. "Right now, she's really just trying to protect him. I ran some of the initial diagnostics on his condition when they arrived back here."

"How is he," he asked, equally concerned about his friend. He wondered how much Ino could tell him without crossing ethical boundaries. She was the civilian equivalent of a doctor.

"I cannot tell you the full details, but I will say that if any other medic had been with him, he would not have survived. Sakura's actions saved his life once again," she answered. "When I left, Sakura had his head in his lap and was telling him that his promise did not matter anymore. He was so determined to keep his word and bring him back to her alive."

Chouji involuntarily tightened his grip on Ino. She responded by whispering in his ear, "You are the only guy I want. No matter what happens." She then kissed him, not caring who saw them.

"What happens now," he asked her. They had been very restrained in acting upon their feelings from their confessions until now.

"I don't know," she answered. She then pulled him into another kiss, one so full of passion that neither wished it would end.


	2. Funeral

A/N: After reading the last chapter, 462, this ending seems more and more likely. If you disagree, let me know in your review. ;)

For someone who was not even twenty yet, he felt he was far too familiar with the memorial where shinobi were laid to rest. His team still visited their fallen teacher's grave on a regular basis. However this funeral would be different; it was the first funeral for someone so close to his own age.

In an act of compassion, the elders had permitted the last Uchiha to be buried with the rest of his family. The funeral would be small with only their comrades and sensei present. No one else was invited nor wanted to come. Most of the village felt the traitor deserved the end that he had met battling Naruto.

He knew little of what had happened during the battle, only the members of the original Team Seven knew the full details and neither Naruto nor Sakura had spoken a word of it to anyone, not even Kakashi or Sai. The little bit he had known, he had learned from Ino when she told him yesterday.

He wondered where the kunoichi was as he started dressing for the funeral. Even in the warm weather of the Land of Fire, black was the preferred color for funerals. Few of its residents wore the color for anything else because of how impractical a color it was for daily clothing. He, himself, favored the color red. Yet today he donned the black outfit, he reserved for funerals. Today one of his own would be buried with the rest of his family. Despite the fact that it was the funeral of a traitor, it was also the funeral of someone he had known most of his life.

He heard a knock on his door. Without thinking he replied "Come in, Mom."

"Do I look like your mother, baka," replied an angry female voice. He groaned silently; the last thing he wanted to deal with was an angry Ino on a day like today.

"Sorry, Ino-chan," he replied sheepishly. Calling her "Ino-chan" generally calmed her down and he hoped it would do the trick. It must have because she looked fairly serene when she entered the room. She was wearing a knee-length black dress, an unusually modest outfit for the kunoichi. However to him, she looked more beautiful in it than she did in the purple outfit with the fishnets she wore when on duty.

"I can't believe we're going to the funeral of one of the Rookie Nine," she said, using the nickname that had once been the moniker for Teams Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma. She seemed upset, as he was too, but was not crying as she had been last night. There was a slight awkwardness in the room.

"Are you ready to go," she asked. He nodded. He then noticed the dark circles under her eyes and wondered if she had taken an overnight shift.

"Did you take another shift last night," he asked softly. She nodded.

"Sakura was in no state to work her shift, so I covered for her. She's taking both Sasuke's death and Naruto's current state quite hard. She still hasn't left Naruto's side; she spent the night in his room. We let her stay there because Naruto insisted that she stay with him. Not Kakashi, Yamato, or even Sai could convince her to leave."

"They're both in a lot of pain right now, aren't they," he asked. Again she responded with a nod of her head.

"It's like when Asuma-sensei died. We clung to each other. Sakura and Naruto are doing the same thing," she said.

The road to the memorial was a familiar one, so they paid little attention to much beyond each other as they left Chouji's room, then his home as they walked there. Once they reached the grave site, they saw they were no longer alone.

Team Kakashi was there, including the two jounin who lead the team. Both Kakashi and Yamato had solemn expressions on their face.

The third member of the team, Sai, stood with the other two, ready to help either of them if they needed it. The deep concern in his eyes disturbed Chouji because he had known the former ANBU to be the complete opposite during happier times. Sai was with Naruto and Sakura, a look of intense concern on his normally inexpressive face. Last of all was the duo that had worried them so much during the past eighteen hours, Naruto and Sakura.

Naruto was leaning on a crutch, struggling to maintain his balance. His normally clear blue eyes were clouded with sorrow and grief. At his side was a grief-stricken Sakura. Like Ino, she was also wearing a black dress, except it was similar to the red one she had worn as a genin. She was letting him lean on her for support. It was a perfect metaphor for how they had been acting since they had come back yesterday.

Teams Kurenai and Guy came together and shortly after Shikamaru arrived with Temari.

"I'm here to represent my team and Kazekage," she told them. "I'm sorry to be here under these circumstances. Gaara and Kankuro could not leave Suna to attend." This was the softer side of herself, she normally only showed around his best friend. To show this side of herself to anyone else was a sign that she was upset. Suddenly, Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Today we're here to say goodbye to one of our own. Sasuke Uchiha was my pupil for a short time. It was during that time that he befriended his fellow teammates Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun. However he was unable to forget the pain of losing his family and his desire for revenge. I spoke to him about it in an attempt to defer him from making the choices he did. My greatest regret as his teacher was that I was unable to stop him from becoming a traitor. His story will become a cautionary tale to those who seek revenge." The emotion in the jounin's voice was unsettling. Naruto stepped forward to speak next.

"Sasuke was my teammate and rival. I regret that it had to end this way, but it was the only way I could fulfill the promise of a lifetime I made to Sakura to bring him back. I wish there had been another way," he said in an unusually solemn voice. Naruto's pain was deep, similar to Shikamaru's when Asuma died.

Sakura did not speak as the first two had done. Personally, Chouji did not think she would have been capable of it, as she did not say an entire word throughout the service. One by one they placed a white tulip on the grave that read "Uchiha Sasuke".


	3. Wake

A/N: This is based on how I think the series will end. Anyone who disagrees can let me know in their review.

Wake

_One by one they placed a white tulip on the grave that read "Uchiha Sasuke"._

After the funeral, they left in twos and threes with the exception of the older jounin who left together. Chouji left with Ino. It wasn't until several blocks later that he realized they were holding hands. He smiled slightly. Ino then noticed too.

Instead of releasing his hand, she gripped it tighter. Without saying anything, he understood her message. She needed his support right now. Taking the lead and mantaining his grasp on her hand, he walked back to his home, through the door and up to his room. There she released his hand as they sat on his bed.

"Are you okay," he asked her. He had noticed throughout the ceremony the concerned look on her face, particularly when Naruto had spoken. It had been the most concern he had ever seen her show for his good friend.

"I'm just worried about Sakura and Naruto. I couldn't even bring myself to call her Forehead today after seeing her face," she replied. So she was just as worried about them as he was right now. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She clung to him.

Although he knew this was probably the worst time for him to notice it, her beauty seemed magnified by the intensity of the emotional situation they had experienced during the past day. She was so different from the young teen that had first been assigned to his team so many years ago. Her straw blonde hair had darkened and she looked far more womanly. Yet she had also become a strong kunoichi with a talent for medical ninjutsu and her clan's techniques.

"I saw that," she said, interrupting his thoughts. He was confused; he thought her clan could only use their telepathy on fellow clan members to communicate. Was she now mad at him? He braced himself for a punch.

"I've been working on extending the telepathy-like communication that my clan can use," she explained calmly. "This is the first time that it has ever worked on someone from outside the clan without the mind-reading jutsu." She seemed as shocked as him.

"Are you mad at me for what you discovered when you read my mind," he asked. He was truly worried about her response and potential reaction.

"No, I'm not," she answered. "I'm not sure what I saw really. Your thoughs were like seeing a lot of different photos. I saw us when Iruka-sensei told us we were on the same team, the day I told you off outside the restaurant, me working at the hospital on a patient when you came to visit, us practing taijutsu, and yesterday night. The only thing I can see is a focus on me. What was on your mind?"

"I was thinking about you. How you've changed over the years." He decided the honest answer would be the best one he could give, especially if she was able to pick-up on his thoughts. She laughed.

"That's funny. I was thinking the same thing about you," she answered. "I was wondering when we both became so mature. It hasn't been that long since we graduated from the Academy, yet we've changed so much."

"That's what this life does to us," he answered, his brown eyes meeting her blue. Their faces were centimeters apart. She leaned foward ever so slightly and he did the same. Their lips met; a jolt of electricity passed between them. This was their second kiss in less than twenty-four hours.

No words were needed once they broke apart. The unspoken feelings between the two of them were understood mutually. They kissed again for a third time, this time falling sideways onto his bed. Upon breaking apart again, he held her and she leaned against him. They stayed like that for hours until Chouji's door creaked, then opened. Shikamaru cautiously poked his head in, his eyes closed.

"Chouji, and Ino if you're still here, I'm letting you know that everyone is gathering at Naruto's apartment tonight for a wake," he said. He didn't even add how "troublesome" it was to be a messanger. He was still in shock from the news, even if he was hiding it.

"Shika-chan, you can open your eyes," answered Ino flatly. His dark eyes opened and expressed his annoyance.

"Did you just call me Shika-chan," he asked.

"Yes, I did. What are you going to do about it?" He gave a characteristic sigh and muttered "troublesome woman".

"Well there's a camera on the table out here. A photo of you and Chouji in your current position would make lovely blackmail," he answered. "Calling me 'Shika-chan' is more than enough motivation." He stepped into the room with the camera.

"Gomen nasai," she muttered quickly. She then added, "How did you know I was here." Shikamaru smilied.

"I saw you two leave together holding hands and his mom told me you guys were up here when she answered the door. It wasn't hard putting two and two together," he answered. "I would have come sooner, but that troublesome woman dragged me back to her quarters in the Hokage's palace," he added with a smile. Chouji noticed it and realized what had happened between his best friend and the ambassador.

"So are you worried about how her two brothers, one of whom is the Kazekage, will react once they find-out what you've done with their sister," he asked. Shikamaru's smile faded from his face.

"I intend to be as far from Suna as possible when she tells them," he answered. "It will be her that tells them too because I don't intend to die via Kankuro's puppets or Gaara's sand." Ino laughed.

"They won't be able to tell. Even the most basic kunoichi training program teaches how to hide proof of actions of that nature. As Suna's top kunoichi, she might even teach seduction at their Academy." She laughed again when she saw the shocked reactions of both her teammates. "Did you ever wonder what they taught us during kunoichi training," she asked innocently.

"I didn't think they taught _that_," answered Shikamaru. "I teach at the Academy and I didn't know that."

"It's a secret of the kunoichi world," she answered. "It's an S-ranked secret," she added.

"What do I do if she tells them," he asked, his face pale. Ino and Chouji laughed.

"Your original plan should suffice," Chouji answered. "Just don't accept any missions in that country and hide the next time the Kazekage meets with the Hokage." Then all three of them started laughing.

"So are you guys done commenting on my private life," he asked. "I'd like to leave and go to the wake. Are you guys coming to Naruto's with me or are you going to make-out for a few more hours?"

"We'll come with you," answered Ino. Her desire to check-up on Naruto and Sakura was very strong. It was the same side that had made her persue medical ninjutsu after he came back from the retrival mission injuried. She had a heart as determined as Sakura's when it came to her friends. Taking her hand once again, they left the room following their teammate.


	4. Grief & Laughter

A/N: Sorry about the long delay between chapters. Soph year=so much homework. This chapter has a bit of fluff. It's meant to be more humorous after the seriousness of the preceding chapters. Also I don't condone underage drinking, but this type of event generally involves it.

_So are you guys done commenting on my private life," he asked. "I'd like to leave and go to the wake. Are you guys coming to Naruto's with me or are you going to make-out for a few more hours?"_

_"We'll come with you," answered Ino. Her desire to check-up on Naruto and Sakura was very strong._

Grief & Laughter

They arrived at Naruto's apartment soon after leaving his house with Shikamaru and Ino. Sai answered the door, a look of concern on his usually stoic face. It unnerved him to see the former Root ninja upset.

"Sai-kun," Ino greeted him in a quiet voice that was barely above a whisper. "How are they?" She was talking a careful approach to the topic, realizing that the few hours that had passed since the furneral had probably made little difference in the emotional state of the two shinobi.

"They are really upset," he answered. "I'm not sure how to explain it any other way. It's as if they have never had a happy moment in their entire lives. I think the book called it 'greiving'." He opened the door fully and stepped aside so the trio could enter.

They stepped inside the apartment. It was no different than it had been during his academy days, except that it was actually clean. He suspected that Sakura had cleaned it earlier that day. The kuniochi was infamous for being a very neat and Sakura, of course, were there. Neji and Hinata had also arrived and were sitting together. It was during times like these that it amazed him that the two were merely cousins and not siblings. Both looked severely concerned for their friends.

"Hello," said Chouji. The cousins returned his greeting quickly. After a slight pause, Sakura spoke.

"Hello Chouji-kun, Shikamaru-kun and Ino-Pig," she replied. All three rose their eyebrows. Although that was as common as Ino calling Sakura 'Forehead', they had not expected her to use it now. Their shock was interrupted by another knock on the door. Sai went to answer it.

"Hello," said a familar female voice. Temari had arrived with Tenten and Lee in tow. She was carrying a bag of what looked curiously like sake. He hoped that she knew better than to let Lee near any. The last thing Naruto needed was to lose his apartment on top of everything else that had happened since yesterday.

"Is that sake," asked Naruto, speaking for the first time since Team Asuma had arrived. The Suna kunoichi nodded.

"It's a custom in Suna to have sake at a wake. I thought it would be a good gesture," she answered. "I also brought some sparkling cider for those who decide that they don't want to drink." A collective sigh of relief rang through the room.

"Lee, you are only drinking the cider tonight," said Neji. "The last thing we need tonight is a demonstration of your skill in the Drunken Fist." The leaf ninja all laughed. Temari gave Shikamaru a confused look.

"I'll explain later," he told her. "It's too troublesome to explain now." Once again the laugher started again. The tension of moments ago was slowly fading. Once again there was a knock on the door. Sai answered to greet Shino, Kiba and Akamaru. The last three came in silently.

"Thanks for coming tonight," said Naruto. "This has to be the hardest day that we've ever known. The defeat of the last reminant of the Akatsuki and the Uchiha clan. However the cost of our new peace is the sacrifice of one of our own. Until he defected, he was my best friend. He was our comrade."

Temari gave him a cup of the sake. He took it without comment. Sakura got up quickly and began to help her. Soon everyone had a cup of either sake or cider. Sakura began to speak as she raised her cider-filled cup.

"A toast to the end of the war," she said. They all followed suit.

"To the future," said Sai.

"To victory," said Kiba. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"To peace," said Lee, raising his own cup of cider.

"To those who gave their life," said Neji.

"To our villages," said Shikamaru.

"To the alliance that united us," said Temari.

"To our fallen comrades," said Tenten.

"To Sasuke," said Naruto, concluding the toast. They all took a sip from their cups of their respective beverages. The sake was the majority favorite, but Sakura, Hinata, Lee and Neji had opted for cider.

Chouji could feel the alcohol starting to affect him after his second drink. He was starting to feel almost, but not quite numb and his tongue felt loose. Without thinking, he asked Naruto, "Do you remember the time you challenged Sasuke the first day we had taijutsu class?" Most of the room started laughing. The former Root ninja and the Suna kunoichi exchanged confused looks.

"You're talking about the time Sasuke and Naruto got into a fist fight our first week at the Academy," asked a tipsy Ino. He nodded.

"Remember how they both had black eyes for a week," added Sakura.

"I think that's when you, Ino, and the rest of the girls in our class started to like him. He stood up for himself and beat up Naruto," said Hinata.

"Yeah, Naruto looked like a tanuki for a week with two black eyes," commented Kiba. "Sasuke's mother was so upset that she requested the two boys be kept apart because of the black eye he got."

"Can we please not discuss this," requested Naruto. "That was a painful day in more ways than one. Iruka-sensei was so angry at me that I had to spend every day in detention for the rest of that year. Believe me!"

"Would you prefer the time you first tried to make a clone and it was naked," asked Sakura. Naruto blushed.

"I may be a ninjutsu-type, but it's not easy when you first start. At least I didn't faint the first time I tried it." Sakura punched him. There was no chakra, but it was more than enough to knock the wind out of him. He gasped. The room roared with laughter.

"So Sakura didn't have a strong start when she was an Academy ninja," asked Temari. Sakura nodded. "It sounds like Kankuro. He was held back a year at the Suna Academy. It wasn't until he discovered the puppets that he showed any talent."

"That explains why him and Gaara were on the same team, but what about you," asked Shikamaru. "Why were you on that team if you were two years ahead of them?"

"Kunoichi training takes longer than standard shinobi training in Suna. We cover a lot in depth that kunoichi here don't learn until they're in the field. I actually finished earlier than most kunoichi, graduating at thirteen. My brothers graduated the same year."

"All of us except for Sai graduated the same year as the rest of our teams," said Ino. "The original Team Kakashi graduated with Teams Asuma and Kurenai. Team Gai graduated the year before."

"Lee barely graduated," commented Tenten.

"He had to have a special, taijustu-only exam to graduate," added Neji. "His chakra level and control are so low he cannot mold it."

"No need to share this information," commented Lee, his cheeks turning red. "The point is thanks to the power of youth, I did graduate! I even made it to the semi-finals of the Chunin Exam the first time I took it!" The redness in his face was getting worse. Sakura recognized this as an early sign of becoming drunk.

"Lee-san, did you take a second cup of cider," she asked him. He replied, "Yes, I took some from the bottle with the red label." Sakura checked the label, then took his cup away from him and took a sip. It was sake. Her hands glowed green.

"Lee, did you drink any from that cup," she asked. "No, I spilled some on my hand. If I had taken a sip, Naruto's apartment would be rubble by now." She touched him and used the chakra to scan him. Ino's hands began to glow too, ready to step-in and help. Sakura removed her hands.

"He has a tiny amount in his system. His low tolerance is strong enough to fight it. Can you fetch a cup of cider?" Ino's hands returned to normal and she fulfilled Sakura's request.

"I'd like to remind everyone that Lee is not allowed sake," commented Sakura. "The landlord will be upset if he loses his oldest client." The entire room laughed as Lee turned a red that matched the cloth of his forehead protecter.

The somber tone of the beginning of the night was fading as the stories, ancedotes, and jokes continued as the sake flowed. Eventually most began to fall sleep in the middle of Naruto's living room as many were too drunk to leave at the end of the night. Chouji could not help noticing that Kiba used Akamaru's side as a pillow, Shino was curled into a ball, Lee was fighting in his sleep and muttering something about Sakura, Neji had fallen asleep near Hinata and was holding Tenten's hand, Shikamaru and Temari were embracing as were Naruto and Sakura.

"They both want to protect each other so much," commented a familiar voice. He was suprised to see Ino still awake and sober.

"You're right," he replied. "You okay," he asked her. She moved closer to him until they were hip-to-hip.

"I switched to the cider after I began to get tipsy," she told him. "I don't want to be hung-over tomorrow. How are you not drunk?" His hands found hers.

"My clan traditionally has a high tolerance," he answered. "I drank three cups over more than four hours which also helped." She smiled.

"So we're both sober," she asked. He nodded in agreement. "Why don't we pick this up where we left it in your room?" He responded by pulling her into an embrace and kissing her. She responded passionately. They continued until they both fell asleep.


	5. Morning After

A/N: Sorry about the long delay between chapters. This chapter will be the last for this story. Please note that the first part is told from Kakashi's point-of-view. Please enjoy this final chapter! I'd also like to thank my readers and reviewers!

_"So we're both sober," she asked. He nodded in agreement. "Why don't we pick this up where we left it in your room?" He responded by pulling her into an embrace and kissing her. She responded passionately. They continued until they both fell asleep. _

The Morning After

Kakashi stood outside the door of his pupil's apartment. The funeral yesterday had been exceedingly difficult for his students and he wanted to check-up on them. Sai's apartment had been empty and Sakura's mother had told him that she had not been home since they last left the village. He hoped that the two were here with him. His earlier discoveries had worried him.

Removing a silver key from his pouch, he opened the apartment door and used it to unlock the door. Stepping inside, we saw not only his charges, but the former members of Asuma's, Gai's and Kurenai's teams as well as Suna's ambassador all asleep on the couch or floor. There were several empty bottles on the table, many of which looked like sake. Temari no Suna must have brought them because she was the only one present who could legally buy it due to her diplomatic immunity. Utilizing the skills that his nearly 25-year career as ninja had honed, he checked on the teenagers.

Naruto and Sai had definitely had their fair share of the sake last night. Naruto, in particular, exhibited many signs that he would be hung-over once he woke-up. Sakura had drunk either very little or none because she was sober. Both Hyguas and the other members of Team Gai were as well. He smiled, remembering the story of what happened the first time Lee had tasted sake. The dark-haired teen mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Sakura". So the crush on his only female pupil was still alive and well.

He then noticed for the first time that several of the teen shinobi were paired-off. The older Hygua was holding hands with his female teammate. Naruto had fallen asleep in Sakura's arms. Her body was protectively covering his injuries. Shikamaru, his late friend's favorite pupil, was holding the Suna ambassador. He chuckled silently; knowing that Suna's top jounin and Kazekage would not be pleased when they realized their sister was dating Konoha's laziest Chunin. The final pair was said Chunin's teammates, Ino and Chouji. Based on the particular positions were currently in, they had most likely fallen asleep after making-out. He sighed. _To be young again, _he thought. He then left the apartment, knowing he would not be a welcome sight once the teens awoke.

* * *

Sunlight, the birds singing and the rare peace that came with being home, these were the signs of a good morning when off-duty. Chouji yawned. He then realized that he was on the floor of Naruto's apartment, sharing a blanket with Ino. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. Knowing that to wake her up in a gentle way would be best, he wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Time to get-up Ino-chan".

The blond awoke quickly and turned around to face him, her blue eyes full of mischief. "Should we continue what we didn't finish last night," she asked. Before he could answer he heard the click of a camera and a familiar voice comment, "This is how I found them at Chouji's house yesterday". Shikamaru was standing over them with a camera and Temari at his side. The four began to laugh.

"Can you keep it down," asked an irate Naruto. "My head is killing me." He was on the floor as well. Sakura standing over him with her hands glowing green.

"I agree with Naruto," said Sai, who looked quite ill. "It's too early for you to be so loud. It's also too bright this morning," complained the hung-over shinobi. Sakura gave Ino a look that clearly said "you know what to do". Getting up from her comfortable position in Chouji's arms, she walked over to the pale ninja, her hands glowing.

"Chouji-kun could you get two bowls of water," asked Ino. "We need it for this technique." He obeyed her without question and fetched the water. Soon the two girls had removed the majority of the alcohol that remained in Naruto's and Sai's bodies.

"Did you drink a bottle each," asked Sakura. Neither of her teammates answered, afraid of her response. Chouji could tell they were attempting to avoid the pounding that would follow an honest answer. An eerie silence filled the room.

"Should we make some breakfast," asked Hinata quietly, breaking the tension. No one had noticed that the younger Hygua was awake. "It will help them feel better," she added.

"Knowing Naruto there's nothing in here besides instant ramen and milk. That breakfast would just make it worse for them," replied Sakura. Naruto cursed and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. The other teens started laughing knowing that she had been right.

"Perhaps the time has come for us to leave," said Neji. The others agreed and gathered their things. Shortly after they began to leave in small groups. First went Kiba and Akamaru, along with their teammate Shino. Neji was holding hands with Tenten and Lee had decided to escort Hinata as the four of them left. Shikamaru and Temari left some after. Only Team 7, Ino and Choiji remained.

"Do you need me to cover your shift today," Ino asked Sakura. The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head.

"These two are sober enough to deal with their hangovers," she answered. "I'm just going to make sure they get a good breakfast first. Naruto would just eat his usual breakfast of instant ramen if I let him." The blond shinobi had a sulky look on his face as his teammate said that.

"No ramen, Sakura-chan? Why not," he asked. The kunoichi smiled as she grabbed the front of his black shirt with all of her strength. The shinobi gasped.

"The sodium in the ramen will make you feel worse," she answered. "You're having something healthy this morning." She then released his shirt, turning to Sai. He nodded in agreement, prefering to avoid his teammate's temper.

"See you tonight," said Ino. "I've got the 1600-2400 shift." "Let's go," she added for her teammate's benefit and grasped his hand. The two left Naruto's apartment in silence. Once they reached the main street, the silence was broken.

"Would you like to get some breakfast," asked Chouji. "You can pick anywhere in the village," he added. Ino smiled and nodded.

"So did you ever think our first date would be getting breakfast," she asked. "Especially after spending the night together?" He laughed.

"Back when we were at the Academy, I didn't even think there would be a first date at all," he answered. "You had such a crush on the Uchiha traitor. I never thought you would notice the dead last who liked you." She blushed, knowing that what he had said was the truth.

"Well I grew-up and got to know you," she answered. She then kissed him. He responded with such passion that he lifted her off her feet. His only thoughts were of how lucky he was to have her. They stopped to catch their breath.

"Yes, you are lucky," she answered. Once again she had seen his thoughts.

"How did you do that," he asked. "You read it exactly." She thought for a minute.

"How close we are seems to make it easier," she answered. "Extending it beyond you will take time. Let's discuss it over breakfast," she proposed. He nodded. They left the scene holding hands.


End file.
